outgrow

American  

[out-groh] / ˌaʊtˈgroʊ /

verb (used with object)

outgrows, present (3rd person singular) outgrew, past outgrown, past participle outgrowing present participle

1. to grow too large for.

   to outgrow one's clothes.

2. to leave behind or lose in the changes incident to development or the passage of time.

   She outgrew her fear of the dark.

3. to surpass in growing.

   watching one child outgrow another.

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verb (used without object)

outgrows, present (3rd person singular) outgrew, past outgrown, past participle outgrowing present participle

1. Archaic. to grow out; burst forth; protrude.

outgrow British  

/ ˌaʊtˈɡrəʊ /

verb

1. to grow too large for (clothes, shoes, etc)

2. to lose (a habit, idea, reputation, etc) in the course of development or time

3. to grow larger or faster than

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Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has outgrown
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have outgrown
  perfect
• am outgrowing
  progressive 1st person singular
• is outgrowing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been outgrowing
  perfect progressive
• outgrows
  singular 3rd person
• has been outgrowing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are outgrowing
  progressive
• outgrowing
  participle

Past

• had outgrown
  perfect
• had been outgrowing
  perfect progressive
• outgrew
  simple
• outgrown
  participle
• were outgrowing
  progressive plural
• was outgrowing
  progressive singular

Future

• will outgrow
  simple
• will have outgrown
  perfect
• will have been outgrowing
  perfect progressive
• will be outgrowing
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of outgrow

First recorded in 1585–95; out- + grow

Explanation

To outgrow something is to become too big to fit in it, or to grow too mature for it. Most college students have outgrown their affection for stuffed animals. If they haven't, they might have a hard time making friends in the dorm. As you grow older and bigger, you outgrow all kinds of things: clothing, your childhood bed, your ice skates. You'll also outgrow many things in the sense of being too old for them to be appropriate or as appealing as they were when you were younger. Just about everyone outgrows their favorite picture books and cartoons eventually. The earliest meaning of outgrow was "surpass in growth" or "grow faster than."

Example Sentences

It probably continued to outgrow the country in the first three months of this year, the report said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

The bank is placed comfortably in terms of liquidity coverage ratio and loan-to-deposit ratio to outgrow India’s banking industry in the medium term, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

This competition pushed early crops to develop traits that helped them outgrow and outcompete neighboring plants, offering new insight into how crops evolve and how they might be improved in the future.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

Curtis wrote in a note that while those concerns will probably linger, Broadcom “made a strong case for their AI revenue to outgrow the market and see continued growth” through 2028.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

My dad invented the concept of Simon logic, and I can’t seem to outgrow it.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli